“Volunteer” column for May 5, 2013

Volunteer opportunities, provided by Volunteer! United (formerly Volunteer! Baton Rouge), are outlined in this column every Sunday. To learn more about these opportunities, contact the listed agency directly.

FOOD PANTRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, Together Baton Rouge — Edgar Cage, edgarcage@att.net: Together Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank have partnered to provide fresh, healthy food to residents of the Scotlandville area — the largest food desert in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Volunteers are needed at the Scotlandville Healthy Food Pantry at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. If interested, contact Cage.

In addition to the May date, volunteers are also needed at the Food Pantry on June 8 and June 22.

HELP STUDY HUNGER IN BATON ROUGE, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank — Bonnie Bordelon, (225) 359-9940 or bonnie@brfoodbank.org: The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is participating in the Hunger in America 2014 study, an in-depth look at its clients that takes place every four years, in an effort to find ways to better serve those in need in the community.

As part of the project, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is looking to recruit volunteers from the community to help facilitate the survey. Training will take place at 4 p.m. Friday at the Food Bank on Choctaw Drive.

Contact Bordelon for more information or to sign up for the training.

HELP AT A PET WELLNESS EVENT, Spay Baton Rouge — Sandra DiTusa, spaybatonrouge@yahoo.com or leave a message at (225) 775-0101: Spay Baton Rouge is looking for animal lovers to join its members at a Wellness Event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 19.

The group will be providing free basic shots for dogs and cats and education regarding the welfare of pets. Volunteers are needed to help fill up water bowls for the dogs in attendance, to help the pet owners fill out a simple questionnaire, and to provide assistance to the veterinarians helping at the event.

No special experience is required other than a willingness to help make the lives of pet owners and pets better in the community. Email DiTusa at spaybatonrouge@yahoo.com for the fastest response.

LOOKING FOR A REWARDING VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE? GaitWay Therapeutic Horsemanship — Shelly Rose, (225) 766-1614 or info@gaitway.org: GaitWay Therapeutic Horsemanship, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people of all ages with cognitive, physical or emotional disabilities through the benefits of therapeutic riding and hippotherapy, needs volunteers. A comprehensive training program will be provided for all interested parties. Previous experience with horses is not necessary.

Opportunities are available in surgery waiting, front information desk and patient surveys at I-12 and O’Neal on Medical Center Drive; and clerical and greeter at clinics at Summa and Picardy (near the Mall of Louisiana), Jefferson Highway (near Essen Lane), Baton Rouge and Plaza I - Medical Center Drive, next to the hospital.

Volunteers work in two shifts: 8 a.m. to noon and noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; participants are asked to help for one shift per week. For more information, call Newman from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.